That is actually a long standing rule, no one is allowed to sell or trade their own possessions, otherwise everyone would come with a few expensive watches to trade. They ARE, however, allowed to sell or trade items they buy along the way with race $$, so if you are cunning, you might be able to buy something along the way that would be useful.

Mark & Michael are officially idiots of the first order! This is going to kill them in the next leg!

As for LaKisha & Jen getting no penalty -- they didn't pay with their possessions. They didn't pay at all, in fact. No team's supposed to sell or trade their own possessions and LaKisha & Jen didn't do that -- but Mark & Michael did, hence the 2 two-hour penalties!

Mark/Michael finish Karaoke and get a taxi. But they have only 200 and the fare is 300. They negotiate and barter again.

Two teams in taxis. Kisha/Jen are very glum, although trying to stay calm. Mark/Michael "had a ball in the Karaoke." The last team may be Philiminated.

Kisha: Never leave your fanny pack. You never know what's ahead. Mark offers "gifts" in place of money.

Phil: Mark/Micheal, you are the fourth team to arrive. However, I understand you broke a Race rule, by using personal possessions to settle a bill. A 2-hour penalty. You have done that twice. The total penalties are 4 hours, starting NOW. Wait until I check you in.

Phil: Kisha/Jen ... Jen: We're the last team to arrive. Phil: You are actually the 4th team to arrive. Jen starts to cry. Kisha does, too. Phil: Thought you were out, huh? Kisha: Tough day. Jen: Our fate, we leave it up to God. We belong in this Race. Some folks get lucky, some don't. We take it one day at a time.

Phil: Mark/Michael, I can check you in now. You are the last team to arrive. Good news, this is a non-elimination leg, and you are still in the Race. The remainder of your penalty is added to your release time. Plus, a Speed Bump that your team must complete. You've got a long way back, guys. Michael: In the land of Buddha, I didn't want to create bad Karma. Mark: As long as our names are on the pit start, we're gonna play to the best of our ability.

Phil: ... and Luke battles Jen! Another cluebox. Luke knocks into Jen, colliding with her shoulder, hard. She goes flying. Phil: Leading to a confrontation you won't want to miss! Margie: She called him a bitch! Jen: I called him a bitch because that was a bitch move!

The Broken Teeth Detour seemed to be the easier one, if done right. But I'd have probably been scared into the Broken Record Detour due to how luck-based it sounded. At least the karaoke was straightforward.

The Roadblock? I'd have had a partner do it. I'm not a handyman at all.

The teams:

Margie & Luke: Very good leg. Margie turned it out at the Roadblock and the Detour, and she was the primary reason they won the leg. That's three legs for them now, tying them with Ronald & Christina for most legs won by a parent/child team.

Jaime & Cara: Jaime, CALM DOWN! Not all locals can speak English! And you even seem to have a problem with the ones that do! Oh, well. Thanks for at least being self-aware enough to admit you turn into a "lunatic" when the language barrier rears it ugly head. Cara, you're still a lovely, lovely person. Don't ever change. Ever. Smart move going back for your bags immediately, and congrats on second place. Well done, ladies.

Tammy & Victor: At this point, their edit is screaming fourth-place-finishers or winners with their "always happy, happy, happy!" edit. That said, they ran a decent leg, though Victor could've ruined it for them due to the shoddy propellor work. Little did he know, Kisha & Jen and Mark & Michael would make even bigger errors. . . .

Kisha & Jen: Whew! Don't ever scare me like that again, girls! You did all your tasks well, but next time someone suggests going back for the bags, GO BACK FOR THE DAMN BAGS! Just in case, of course. You're very lucky Mark & Michael not only made the same mistake, but made an even worse one. Step it up, ladies!

Mark & Michael: Forgot your bags at the Roadblock? Strike one. Bartered items in lieu of cab fare? Strike two (though I admittedly didn't know it was against the rules). Did it yet again? Strike three! I was surprised you got a penalty THAT hefty, but I'm glad, too, as it saved Kisha & Jen! Now I can only hope you don't overcome the Speed Bump next week. Being over three hours behind everyone else, you'd better hope for an overnight bunching point, or you guys are so toast.

Very suspenseful episode. But I'm gonna go ahead and call Mark & Michael being out next week. They just don't have it in them to overcome that Speed Bump unless they get really, really lucky.

Next week's Luke/Jen drama? Looks exciting! This might pinpoint the true villain of the whole race, depending on whom the editors try to make look right. Can't wait!

It looks more to me that Luke's given that shady "bitchy" villain edit. It started in the U-TURN, and in Leg 5, now in China - possibly the worst. But hey, we now have an alternative with Ron/Christina. The strongest parent/child teams and the individuals making up those teams are complete polar opposites!

That DUMB FUCK Andy Rooney thinks an iceberg is going to break away in Antarctica and hit the US?? WHAT A FUCKING DUMBASS

Rob, be careful who you call dumbass. Rooney is quite correct that a large iceberg larger than the state of Rhode Island (watch out, Ken) is expected to break away from Antarctica. However, nobody knows when. The part about hitting the U.S. is of course absurd.

That DUMB FUCK Andy Rooney thinks an iceberg is going to break away in Antarctica and hit the US?? WHAT A FUCKING DUMBASS

Rob, be careful who you call dumbass. Rooney is quite correct that a large iceberg larger than the state of Rhode Island (watch out, Ken) is expected to break away from Antarctica. However, nobody knows when. The part about hitting the U.S. is of course absurd.

That was my point....ITS NOT GOING TO HIT THE US!! That is the kind of shit that makes Rooney a dumbfuck.

That **** **** Andy Rooney thinks an iceberg is going to break away in Antarctica and hit the US?? WHAT A ***ING DUMB***!

Rob, be careful who you call dumb***. Rooney is quite correct that a large iceberg larger than the state of Rhode Island (watch out, Ken) is expected to break away from Antarctica. However, nobody knows when. The part about hitting the U.S. is of course absurd.

That was my point....ITS NOT GOING TO HIT THE US!! That is the kind of **** that makes Rooney a dumb****.

Just what does this have to do with anything? I don't think it's on topic.

Anyway, to the episode. It was a great one for me, filled with uncertainty and a sense that anything could happen. I'm so glad that feeling is back from its long 2 season vacation!

Margie & Luke: Ran a solid leg and checked in first. I realized that when they weren't coming in fourth that they would finish first, but they did really well this leg. Next leg, beware of Luke's dark side.

Jaime & Cara: They got the biggest edit out of the first three teams, and we saw more of Jaimeís problems with foreigners. Not a whole lot of new stuff but they ran a decent leg. Once again they looked like they were working far harder than T&V and M&L, who looked like they were just breezing right through.

Tammy & Victor: They are in the most advantageous spots each time, conveniently being allowed to pass teams that get penalties. They were likeable this episode though, and they might just be turning around for me.

Kisha & Jen: Problems! They made a bad decision not to go back and it cost them so much time. They would have been last if it werenít for M&M. Apart from the bag problems, they ran a decent leg, though. Iím glad theyíre hanging in there and still defying the odds though!

Mark & Michael: I canít believe they got another penalty! Iím beginning to think the producers really donít like them or something. At least thatís what I thought until I saw that the Additional Info said not to bargain with taxi drivers on this leg. I just canít believe that they did it on the one leg where it wasnít allowed, though!

Logged

"The authority of example and considerations of character, unlike pudding, are not whipped up in an instant." - Neal A. Maxwell